More than a thousand irregular migrants They were returned to Cuba in the first 13 days of January, under the current migration agreements, according to island authorities.
The most recent return included 38 people who arrived on Friday from the Bahamas by air, As reported the Ministry of the Interior (Minint).
In this way, “in the first 13 days of 2023 there are a total of nine operations with 1,115 returns: six were maritime by the US Coast Guard Service (SGC) with 970 people; two airlines from the Bahamas with 129 and another from the Cayman Islands with 16”, refers to a note from the entity.
“Those returned in these first days of the year represent 9% of the total returns in 2022,” the report added.
More than 1,000 irregular migrants returned to #Cuba in the first 13 days of the year, the majority by the US Coast Guard with 970 in 6 operations. 129 were also returned from the Bahamas and 16 from the Cayman Islands. #NoToHumanTrafficking pic.twitter.com/WPQ7JzfJuj
— MININT_CUBA (@minint_cuba) January 14, 2023
The Minint confirmed that the largest return in recent years by the US Coast Guard took place last Sunday, January 8, through the port of Matanzas, when 273 people were returned to the island.
In its note, the entity reiterates the commitment of the Cuban government “with a regular, safe and orderly migration” and insisted on “the danger and life-threatening conditions that such movements through illegal means represent, mainly by sea.”
“Following the new migratory measures of the Joseph Biden Administration, the Cuban authorities have maintained that a more normal migratory relationship, which includes temporary visits between the two countries, would contribute to reducing the migratory potential and attempts to enter the United States. U.S. by means and irregular practices; At the same time, it would favor communication between Cuban families,” the communication adds.
At the beginning of this year, the US government implemented a policy to welcome 30,000 migrants a month from Cuba and three other nations: Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti. In addition, it announced that it would immediately expel migrants from those countries who tried to cross into its territory irregularly to Mexico.
According to the agency EFEwhich cites the United States Customs and Border Protection Office, a total of 224,607 Cuban citizens arrived at the southern US border in fiscal year 2022, between October 1, 2021 and September 30 of last year.
In that period, the number of rafters from the island intercepted by the Coast Guard in the Straits of Florida amounted to 6,182, while since October 1 there have been more than 4,000. By land, thousands more also reached US soil until the announcement of the new policy.
